Best of 2009: April #7 - #3

April was a month of change for me and I guess my musical tastes kinda mirrored that. Let's start, shall we?

#7: NLT - Magnetic

This NLT song was one of the last leaks before the group officially disbanded (*cries*) and to commemorate just how vocally proficient they were, Magnetic is on the list. It's not exactly my favorite song from them (I like I Choose You) but it was leaked this year and right now any NLT song can fill this place - call it a 'tombstone' or something. NLT were good, I just wish they had a lot more success than they had. Oh well, at least there's One Call. No YT link, sorry.

#6: Nick Lachey - All In My Head

Nick Lachey isn't exactly my favorite singer and he isn't someone I particularly adore (his Take That cover was flat-out pathetic.) but this song is brilliant. Enough said, just listen to it.

#5: The Click Five - I Quit! I Quit! I Quit!(view my first review of the song)

What the crap has happened to these guys? I worshipped their first album, absolutely despised their second album (and my ex-best friend was the biggest fan of that album. UGH) but this song gave me the least bit of hope that the guys were back to reclaim their place in American pop music - that they actually had something to offer. It's fun, it's pop-y and it's The Click Five.

#3: Rascal Flatts - Once

It's a little-known fact that earlier this year I went through a Rascal Flatts phase. YES, I did. I didn't blog about it though because a few weeks into that phase, the wonders of kpop came along and I never looked back. But yes, I have every single Rascal Flatts album ever released and I have my favorite songs. Hard to believe? I bet. Once may not be my all-time favorite Rascal Flatts song but it's pretty close - gorgeous, epic melody and the entire song just explodes. That's what made me adore them, even for just that once time.

New Music!

Quite a number of new stuff. Some not as new but I haven't blogged about them yet so that's new! hahah.

• Everyone's gushing about the new Booty Luv single(which is still set for release later this year..) but I personally don't get it. I don't know if it's because it reminds me too much of something Lady GaGa could and would sing or if I just don't like it to start with. 
• I'm still addicted to Rain. I'm serious - if you haven't heard his 2008 album you're missing a heck of a lot. He puts Justin Timberlake to shame, if you were to ask me.
• Michael Johns' single Heart On Your Sleeve is impressive - but not my cup of tea. His voice is gorgeous and all but it reminds me of a 2006 single I can't quite pinpoint yet. All I know is that it reminds me of 2006 when I got addicted to MTV and the local music channel. Will do my research.
• Mitchel Musso's new single is even more impressive - I actually adore it. He reminds me of a more juvenile Teddy Geiger and that's a good thing(I think I've professed my love for him a few times already..). The melody's gorgeous and if he works a little more on the slightly wimpy voice and stick with an acoustic/piano thing, this song will work. Not a big fan of the very rock parts with heavy guitars and drums - I much prefer the start and the rather short middle-8.
• There's a new NLT song floating around called Magnetic and it reminds me waaaay too much of a Day26 song. Creepy.
• I think I've talked about Esmee Denters before in passing but I just got the HQ version of her single(late, I know. Forgive me.) and the song got even better. Definitely the new Gia Farrell although she better get an album release - the US lacks a big female pop star who makes brilliant pop songs.
• It's Your Dynamite, the b-side to GA's Untouchable is out. The verdict? Not so good. For now, at least. There's nothing special about the song or the melody - it's just a plain old recycled melody put on top of a loop stuck with a strange chorus. I might like it if I listen to it a bit more(ala-The Show) but for now, things aren't looking that good.
• It's all over the place but I should write something about Agnes' acoustic version of Release Me. I first heard it a few months ago(not sure exactly when..) when I was just announced as the second single and I thought it was brilliant. Now we have the studio mixed and 'sweetened' version and it's even betterrrrrrr! This seriously puts all those American pop stars who can't sing a note in tune live on their below-average songs they call 'pop'. hahah.
• One of my recent discoveries is Korean pop star/TV star Lee Hyori. Apparently she's gigantic in Korea and is constantly being linked to Rain(hmmmm.). She doesn't have the most gorgeous voice in the world but the song will stick in your head and refuse to leave, whether it's good or bad. Oh, and even if you can't understand 95% of the song, it's got a great melody.. Her album isn't that bad either - there are some cool R&B staples on it.

4 boybands today.

Boybands come and go, members leave and teenage girls grow up. Longevity in the boyband world is reserved only for an elite group, and even those bands aren't as popular as they were when they started out. New boybands are sprouting out from everywhere and now the US is getting back into the boyband market.

We all know that the world of boybands is a never ending cycle of line-up changes, hit singles and formulas left and right for every genre possible so which new boybands are currently nestled atop the throne of boyband royalty? Here's a lowdown on who to watch out for in the coming months and even years.

1. If you don't know about NLT yet then you must be hiding under a pretty huge rock. They were really hyped up early last year for working with Timbaland and all the superstar producers of today. They've got a bunch of amazing melodies out, but I think it's nothing we haven't heard before, there's nothing that really separates them from the other boybands right now or even R&B solo artists.

They're like the NSYNC of this generation, very R&B, very complicated dance routines and sort of vocally they're kinda like them. As far as I know, they have two singles out and their album is due this year. It better come or else they'll have to face a very angry blogger!

2. If you're looking for something a little less NLT-ish, then check V Factory out. Their debut single was written by none other than the amazing Darin so you've got some Swedish stuff mixed in as well and we all know how amazing Swedish pop songs are.

They released an EP earlier last year and it was amazing. You had three songs that were all really single-worthy, in my opinion.

3. Like Lady GaGa? Check Varsity Fanclub out. The first song was produced by the same team that did Lady GaGa's Just Dance and Darin's current album, the amazing RedOne. *worships*

Brilliance. So two days ago, it was announced that their album is to be pushed back a FEW MONTHS. Here I was thinking that they're probably the most productive of all the current boybands but noooooo. It might not be the chart domination that we're all hoping for(most boyband debuts aren't but you never know, they might just channel some Westlife success!), but we can at least expect some amazing songs!

4. Now the only new UK boyband(If you know of any that I don't know of, tell me!!! Wait. I forgot Avenue! NOOOOOO!) at the moment is JLS. Straight off the X Factor, they already have a contract from Simon and Louis Walsh(yes, THE Louis Walsh of Westlife and Boyzone managing fame..) wants to manage them. Let's just put it this way, when the two guys responsible for the most successful boyband in the world want to back your band, then you're pretty special.

So with Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell behind them, these guys are assured a chart domination. If they don't get a number one with their first single, it'll most probably hit the top ten or five, it's a given. I've said this many times before, but the British public doesn't even have to like them, they'll still sell millions.

The A Capella showdown

I somehow gauge how good a boyband is by looking at their a capella performances because it's very common in boybands that they're able to sing a capella in three to five parts.

So which country produces better boybands in terms of a capella work? This is UK boybands VS. US boybands!

Note: These are boybands that if inactive have produced more than two singles and at least one album. If they're active, then there's no requirement. haha.

The US Boybands..

So BSB are kind of the ultimate US boyband, along with NSYNC. As far as I know, they never recorded anything a capella apart from the tracks that they stripped the instrumental of so I got digging for some live stuff and I came across this:

They're good, but the vocals are a bit weak for me, when someone takes lead that someone has these strong vocals but the people backing him are either not blended well or have really weak voices.

Now since I got a live BSB track, that automatically bans me from judging NSYNC by their recording of O Holy Night in A Capella. Luckily, I found a live performance of it! YAY!

I think NSYNC are definitely better than BSB judging by this, there's more power to their vocals and it's more convincing for me. It sounds amazing as well, they're voices work better together than BSB, if I may say so.

Let's move over to the new boybands of the US, shall we? Mainly because I can't find any live KNOTB or 98 Degrees a capella stuff. If you guys find any though, let me know!

Now Day26 are a fairly new boyband but when I heard this performance, let's just say I'll be listening to their album a heck of a lot more than I already do.

They're gooooooood. Out of all the new boybands right now, I have to say, they're the best a capella-wise.

NLT may have the amazing, mind-blowing melodies but they're not up to par with Day26. I don't know if it's just because they're missing a fifth harmony or if their voices aren't really that strong together. Think BSB of now, that's the best description.

Now V Factory are in between Day26 and NLT in terms of vocals, they're better than NLT but they're just a wee bit not as good as Day26, I think. Amazing song though, I've never heard it before!

Varsity Fanclub however, are just that bit better than V Factory, I think. Better, more distinct and powerful voices and they most definitely blend much better than V Factory. I still love them all though!

So let's go over to my specialty, the UK boybands!

We HAVE to kick it off with Westlife, we just HAVE TO! I've said time and time again that Westlife cannot be beaten in terms of a capella o below is a very popular fan vid of a capella clips of the lads.

Now do you see why Westlife rock so much? The power and the way their voices blend is sheer brilliance people! BRILLIANCE.

A1 were around when Westlife started, and they were nominated for the same award once(The Smash Hits Best New Tour Act.., Westlife won, duh.) and I think A1 are pretty close to Westlife in terms of vocals.

It's a little too fast if you know the original recorded version but vocally they're goooooood.

Lemme just say it, Blue suck when it comes to a capella.

No soul, no power, nothing. They may have some amazing songs recorded but this was just horrible.

So at the moment, JLS are being tipped as the new Westlife, being mentored by Louis Walsh on the X Factor, plus the fact that they sang like two songs that Westlife covered. JLS are lightyears better than Blue though, if I may say so.

Amazing stuff. Still not as good as Westlife, but good enough! They're sort of between Blue and A1.

You guys DO NOT know how much I want to hear D-Side doing some serious five(or three..) part a capella! But I can't find any, so if you guys have seen ANYTHING whatsoever that resembles an a capella performance of them, TELL ME!!! haha.

So, based on the stuff I've collected(which took me about four hours..) and now shown you guys, which country produces the better boybands, the US or the UK? I know my answer..... haha.

New Music!

I hope you guys had a great Christmas Day, so let's get back to the regular stuff! New stuff has come out over the holidays, mostly from my blogger friends, and I have to catch up!

• First off, can I just say, one album I'll be eagerly awaiting next year is Corbin Bleu's. The lead single was announced, it's called Celebrate You and I got a hold of it already. IT'S AMAZING. The start reminds me of Forever, like an ad for something. The song as a whole(more so the lyrics..) reminds me a lot of something that if sung by a girl, could be in a chick-flick like Princess Diaries or The Prince & Me, but it just works for him. If it was sung by a girl, I don't think it would be this marketable but I would've loved it just as much. This guy either has a great production team and lots of money put into him or he really has a better sense of who he is as a singer. ANYWAY, if his album is filled with stuff like this, I can't wait!
• During another one of our long chats, my friend BeE from Pop Nation(check her blog out, it's amazing! haha..) introduced me to this girl, Claudia Cream. Strange name, but the song I heard, Candy(not to be confused with the Many Moore song..), is pure, utter genius. It reminds me a lot of an Ashley Tisdale song I can't quite put my finger on. I know it sounds like an Ashley song, but I can't remember which. It's got a similar hook and the instrumental's very similar. Still, I love the melody and can you believe she's had five albums? I couldn't either when I first found out.. haha.
• I finally got a chance to hear Natalie's debut album thanks to another one of my friends, Gui from Pop Music Zone(another amazing blog, visit it!) over the Holidays and I just have one thing to say. I love the album, but she reminds me A LOT of Cassie, as in everything from the songs to the voice to the somehow drastic image change for the second album. I loved the single, Goin' Crazy when I knew nothing about music(I used to hear it a lot on the local music channel..) but now that and the rest of the album remind me a lot of Cassie. I know she came first, but I heard Cassie's album first. Still, it's kinda strange but I love the album anyway! haha. Me being strange, forgive me.
• Finally, after a lul in releases, Samantha Jade has a new song called All In Your Head. It's sounds very different from what she's done, but I think this matches her voice a lot more than the other songs(though Step Up will forever remain one of my favorite songs..) and since she hasn't released an album yet, I think the experimentation's working! I love the melody for a start, I think it's drop-dead gorgeous.
• Thanks to Mel, I'm now, truly a Soluna fan. I LOVE the album, I adore it and it's never leaving my iTunes library for as long as I live!
• The single mix of Issues, the Saturdays' new single, is definitely more bass-heavy, I don't know if it's more suitable for radio or what but I kinda like this mix, it's got more of a contrast now, but I love it either way, the song itself is just amazing!(oh and my ring tone at the moment is the chorus of Work! haha, love that song!)
• I was a bit too busy with Holidays and the countdown to mention this but I got a hold of an S Club 8 track I'd never heard before, called Here We Go(not to be confused with the GA track..) and I LOVE IT! Just a little lyrics tweak and it could easily be a Christmas song but it's not! At least I don't think it is.. Amazing song though, why hadn't I heard it earlier?
• I'm still kind of baflled at how good NLT are at a capella work, they could easily rival Westlife! But of course, Westlife will win! How can they not with Shane's amazingly smooth, strong voice on lead? haha.
• I thought the TOTP Christmas special wasn't gonna happen? Apparently, it did! Will have to watch it sometime before New Year.

Anything else I missed? I hope not..

# 25: NLT - Karma

We're getting closer and closer to my favorite song of the year!

Read my initial(and a bit negative) review of the song here.

NLT is one of those acts who had a string of singles earlier this year, but for some strange reason the album never materialized.

I stand by what I said a few months ago that NLT are lacking that extra bit of talent needed to succeed in this industry. They don't know who they are yet so they resort to copying other styles. Yes, the melody of this song is brilliant, but I've heard this all before. It's a standard R&B song without that extra thing that gives me goosebumps.

Even so, we've got to give these guys a chance. The song has potential, even if it does sound like every other song that's been released in their genre. These guys are new, and they're bound to make mistakes at the start but tweak this song a bit, change up the arrangement, alter the melody a bit and I assure you, this song will explode.

NLT - Karma

Artist: NLT
Album: Not Like Them
Year: 2008
Rating: 4.2/5

These guys are supposed to bring teen pop back into the charts in a big way, but why did I only give them a 4.2? Here's why.

Boybands. Always manufactured, often times cute and seldom talented*sigh*. OK, there are only a few boybands why have caught my eye, or ear and NLT is beginning to be one of them. Although, no boyband will ever compare to Westlife for me, NLT is not that bad. Over the years, I've preferred British boybands over American ones, mainly because there weren't any current American boybands worth listening to back then.

I adore R&B and I adore boybands, but why don't I adore NLT as much as the first two? Simple, they haven't blown me away, I haven't heard a song that made me go "wow" and buy their album at that very moment yet(for Westlife it was 'Amazing'). Yes, their songs are nice, they're catchy and the melodies are nice but it's not different than Day 26 or other boy bands right now.

'Karma' is probably the best song they've released, and it's still not up to boyband standards for me, close but not quite. I'll give them another album maybe and if they're still like this, I'll stop listening. The song itself reminds me of 'Got Me Going' by Day 26. Not good, right? Right.

These guys have got to stop copying and start looking for their own sound. Westlife(I'm sorry, I compare all the newer boy bands to Westlife, get used to it.) may be criticized for singing ballads all the time but that's their niche, that's their sound and they've sold 45+ Million records, had 14 number one singles and 7 number one albums with it so as you can see, it just works. If these guys don't start sounding any different from everybody else or establishing themselves as the one and only, they're not going anywhere, at least in my books they aren't.

NLT are an OK boyband, but they've got a long way to go and a lot of hard work to do before they can achieve the success that BSB, Take That and Westlife have.